Purely ornamental

Are you getting tired of my Christmastime outfit posts yet?? I hope not, since I still have a few more to go! I'm generally a fan of photographic prints (second only to novelty prints), and when I featured this Chicwish skirt in a Friday Favorites post a few weeks back, I knew I wanted to nab one for myself. I've only ordered a couple of other things from Chicwish in the past, so I was a little nervous about quality and sizing, but I was actually pretty pleased with the outcome.

I had heard that the skirts from Chicwish tended to run a bit small, so I ordered a size larger than I normally would have. I definitely should have had more courage and followed their size chart, as the skirt is definitely a bit too big (though you can't really tell in these photos). Luckily, the skirt fastens with both a zipper and two metal hooks, which could be moved if needed for a more snug fit. I didn't have time to mess with it prior to taking these photos, but the addition of a belt hides the problem pretty well. The quality isn't going to be as superior as a higher-priced skirt, but the flip side of that is that it's lined, holds up well and doesn't need to be dry cleaned. I could've worn it with a petticoat for some extra "oomph," but I opted to style it in a more casual way here. It's the perfect outfit for decorating the Christmas tree!

Outfit Details

Merry Ornaments Midi Skirt: Chicwish

Red boatneck tee: Target

Gold bow belt: eBay

B.A.I.T. heels: Zulily

On the docket for today: a much-needed haircut and the final dress rehearsal for the show I'm in! We have performances both before and after Christmas, so it's making the end of this month a bit more hectic than I'd like. I've done all of my holiday shopping, but I'm not sure when I'll actually be able to wrap presents. Plus, we haven't baked any cookies yet! Eeek. Time, slow down just a little!

Have a great Wednesday!

Alpine

As someone who loves dressing thematically, I'm really glad I decided to have almost an entire month of holiday outfits – I just hope you all aren't bored with it yet! When I saw this skirt at Lindy Bop, I knew it had to come live in my closet (just look at that print!). It's amazing how much I really love separates now, when just a few months ago, I avoided them like the plague! This print actually does come in a dress version (with a matching bolero), but I love the skirt so much more. I topped off this look with an adorable bow brooch that was kindly sent to me as a birthday gift from Match Accessories (an ode to Christmas gifts!). This outfit isn't one I'd traditionally wear on Christmas, as I like to get really fancy for the holidays, but I love it as a lead-up to it... and I can continue to wear it throughout the winter!

I followed the Lindy Bop size chart and ordered up from my normal UK size, as I was afraid that it would be too tight to accommodate a sweater underneath. Lindy Bop's sizing is usually pretty generous, but since I hadn't owned one of their skirts before, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry. Realistically, I probably could've gone with my normal size, as this one is just a tiny bit big, but moving the buttons over to provide a better fit would most likely be an easy fix. I also got this cute short-sleeved sweater to go with it, and both the fit and quality are very nice. The prices of both were extremely reasonable, and Lindy Bop offers free shipping to the US with orders of $75+, which is a plus.

Outfit Details

Adalene Alpine Swing Skirt: Lindy Bop

Onassis Green Sweater: Lindy Bop

Bow brooch: c/o Match Accessories

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear (similar)

Have a great start to your week!

Hungry for books

It's been a little while since I posted a book review here, but I haven't had a chance to do much reading these days! Fall flew by, and the holiday season has been pretty crazy. But I finally got around to reading Food: A Love Story by comedian Jim Gaffigan – a very timely read for a season filled with favorite indulgences – and wanted to share my thoughts on it today (in a fittingly food-centric outfit, of course!).

Food: A Love Story is essentially comedian Jim Gaffigan's food diary that chronicles all the different types of typically American cuisines he's sampled (or rather, engulfed) during his cross-country travels. It serves as a foil to any and all health-conscious reads, and as someone who definitely loves an indulgence or two, I thought I would enjoy this one. Here's the thing, though. Comedy is really hard. It's probably one of the most difficult things you can do as a performer, especially if you aren't blessed with an innate gift for it. And even if you're a successful stand-up comedian (like Jim Gaffigan is), it's difficult to be able to translate that into a medium that people merely read, rather than watch. I actually like Jim, but overall, I felt like he was trying a little too hard to make this book funny – which is pretty much a death sentence in comedy – and like he was really trying to stretch out a very simple concept to fit a certain length. I'm an avid reader, but I really had to slog to get through this one; it became very repetitive very quickly, and honestly, it just wasn't that interesting to me after a while. I've had an on-again-off-again unhealthy relationship with food, and I related to a lot of his sentiments on some level... but even so, I had to force myself to keep reading it – which isn't exactly what you want with a book like this. The book has a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, so perhaps if you're less critical than I am – and you're looking for something lighthearted – you'll enjoy it. It made me think a lot about how acceptable it is within society for a man to be overweight and indulge in whatever he wants virtually without judgment, but women are rarely afforded the same courtesy. As someone who's struggled with weight for most of her life (and as someone for whom food is certainly a vice), perhaps I am just too sensitive to enjoy this book as it should. In addition, I'd rather read a funny memoir than a concept book, so take opinions with a grain of salt (food pun intended). I usually love anything to do with food, but this book let me unsatisfied. At least it gave me an excuse to wear this skirt! The Very Hungry Caterpillar will always be one of my favorite food-related reads. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Food: A Love Story. However, it might just be a really great gift for the junk-food-lover (or basically any dad) in your life. If you're interested, you can find it here!

Outfit Details

Very Hungry Caterpillar Skirt: Interrobang Art & Fashion

Red top: Bernie Dexter (similar)

Belt: from another dress

B.A.I.T. shoes: Zulily

Have you read any good books lately? I'd love some recommendations!

I received this book from the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites #115

Ah, it's Friday again! My Christmas spirit is now in full swing. One of my favorite stores to visit during the holiday season is Anthropologie. Forgive me for basically including half of their holiday offerings in this post... but they're all so pretty! If I could just live inside an Anthropologie, I would. (Their decor and housewares sections are also surprisingly affordable, which is another reason why I love going there during this time of year!) This post contains a lot more than just their stuff, but I'm starting off with a bunch of Antho pieces I love...

These ornaments are gorgeous!

a   ||   b

When I have my own tree, it'll definitely have some pastel ornaments, but our current tree is mostly decorated in golds and greens. This ice skating ornament would be a great addition!

These candles sound absolutely scrumptious.

Balsam & Cedar  //  Snowflakes & Icicles

These glass trees are so pretty:

I love these pastel cake servers!

I might need to get some of these gingerbread house mug toppers...

And I don't even drink, but these jingle bell bottle stoppers are amazing!

I adore this gift tag set, too!

I kind of really want this tacky present sweater...

This Christmas stocking print dress is wonderful!

Party dress alert!

a   ||   b   ||   c

This Christmas kitty brooch is everything!

I love this list of Christmas tumblr posts.

(image via)

This dress is absolutely stunning:

Wouldn't this star headband be lovely for Christmas Eve or NYE?

This Mary Poppins skirt is so cute!

Um... a bubble tea bag? Yes, please.

I've never even seen The Mindy Project (I know, I know), but after reading this, I think I should.

(image via)

I'm getting excited for the premiere of Downton Abbey's final season in January, and this clip of a few cast members doing a scene with American accents is so good:

This article about changing one's "default setting" from self-deprecating to confident really resonated with me. As someone who values humility, it's easy to not overdo it by under-valuing yourself and coming off as insecure. I'm adding this to my list of resolutions for 2016.

(image via)

And finally, doesn't this video speak to all of us?

Have a great Friday!

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Girl Squad: Virtual Christmas Party

Continuing with my holiday outfit theme, our girl squad is styling some adorable wintertime brooches from Deer Arrow in our group post for today! We each styled a different brooch and decided to glam it up a bit with our outfit choices – it's like we're having a virtual Christmas party! Since we live so far away from each other, this is the closest we'll get to celebrating together this year. You can head over to Junebugs and Georgia Peaches and Southern (California) Belle to see additional photos and get more outfit details... but keep scrolling if you'd like to see how I styled my adorable Rudolph brooch with my new wintertime dress from Unique Vintage!

This dress from Unique Vintage is so darling – I really love the neckline and the sweet snowflake print. I just wish there had been a little bit of snow on the ground to complement it. So far, no snow yet. Although I'm sure I'll gripe about the never-ending snow later on this season, I can't help but wish for a white Christmas... even if it does mean I can't wear cute shoes anymore!

Outfit Details

Noelle Swing Dress: c/o Unique Vintage

Rudolph brooch: c/o Deer Arrow

Snowflake hair flower: Stardust Dames

Shoes: estate sale store

How would you style Deer Arrow's adorable brooches? Don't forget: for a limited time, Deer Arrow will include a free mini-snowflake brooch in any order $50+!

Have a great Wednesday!